Jesus. How not to do it :bleeding:
Quote
Gordon Brown calls Labour supporter a 'bigoted woman'
Microphone picks up comments by prime minister about Labour supporter Gillian Duffy, who had challenged him over the economy
Gordon Brown's election campaign was thrown into turmoil today after he was caught on mic calling a Labour supporter who had challenged him over the economy and immigration a "bigoted woman".
Gillian Duffy, 65, heckled the prime minister as he was interviewed live on TV in Rochdale about Labour's plans to cut the deficit, repeatedly challenging him to say he would tackle the debt. Brown ignored her intervention but was then asked by senior aides in his entourage to meet her.
After a few minutes of exchanges she told reporters that Brown was a "very nice man" and that she had voted Labour all her life and intended to do so again next week. But as he got in his car, he was still wired up to a Sky News microphone which picked up comments he then made rebuking his advisers.
He said: "That was a disaster – they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? Ridiculous."
Listen to Gordon Brown criticising Rochdale pensioner Gillian Duffy Link to this audio
Asked what she had said, he replied: "Everything, she was just a bigoted woman."
Brown later confirmed he had phoned Duffy to apologise for his remarks but not before the recording of his comments had been aired on every television bulletin. Brown's unguarded comments are likely to refocus attention back to previous allegations about the his temper and character in the runup to the all-important final TV debate.
After the heckling, Sue Nye, Brown's long-term gatekeeper and director of government relations, was seen inviting Duffy to meet with the prime minister. During the exchange between Brown and Duffy she questioned him on pensions, the deficit and tuition fees.
At one point, Duffy mentioned the presence of eastern Europeans in Britain but did not develop her argument.
The Labour party released a transcript of the exchange.
Duffy said: "We had it drummed in when I was a child ... it was education, health service and looking after the people who are vulnerable. But there's too many people now who are vulnerable but they can claim and people who are vulnerable can't get claim, can't get it."
Brown replied: "But they shouldn't be doing that, there is no life on the dole for people any more. If you are unemployed you've got to go back to work. It's six months..."
Duffy interjected: "You can't say anything about the immigrants because you're saying that you're ... but all these eastern European what are coming in, where are they flocking from?"
Brown said that although there were 1 million immigrants to Europe from Britain, there were also 1 million Britons who had moved to Europe.
At the end of the exchange Brown said: "Good to see you. Thanks very much." He got in the car and seconds later is heard saying: "That was a disaster," before calling Duffy "bigoted".
Brown later told the Jeremy Vine programme: "I apologise if I have said anything like that what I think she was raising with me was an issue about immigration and that there were too many people from eastern Europe. I apologise profusely to the lady concerned I don't think she is that. It was the view I objected to."
Footage of the interview shows Brown with his head in his hands and he responded tetchily to other questions, accusing Vine of "butting in".
Duffy has lived in Rochdale all her life, working for the council with disabled children up until her retirement five years ago. She is a widow and has a daughter and two grandchildren. Her husband, a painter and decorator, died of cancer four years ago.
Before being told of Brown's comments, Duffy had said she would still be voting Labour. She told Sky News she confronted him over the national debt and immigration and that the prime minister had seemed "understanding" and responded "pretty well".
But after hearing of his reported comments she said she was "very annoyed" and would not be voting for Labour. "I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet but if that's what he said I'm very upset," she said.
The shadow chancellor, George Osborne, said the comments "speak for themselves and the prime minister's got a lot of explaining to do".
The business secretary, Lord Mandelson, said the remarks were regrettable. "It has been a very long campaign but that is not excuse for letting off steam as he did, but you know that is what all of us do sometimes, we are all human, we do say things we don't believe.
"You don't expect them to be picked up by a microphone, but the fact is that he doesn't believe this of Mrs Duffey he doesn't believe it either publicly or privately – he did let off steam, it is very regrettable and there is no justification for it."
Lord Mandelson said Brown was "mortified" by what had happened. "For the government and the Labour party as a whole, we are compassionate people, we care about others like Mrs Duffy, we respect her point of view."
I recommend the video. I didn't think Brown could fall any further. Bring back Michael Foot.
What are the odds on Brown winning the election?
Caught it on CNN.
Seems like there's some upside though, among pro-immigration (or at least anti-anti-immigration) voters.
Are Brits really that racist? Mexicans are at least brown. Poles are lily white. :mellow:
Al Jazeera ran a variation of this story too. My favorite part from their article:
QuoteOdds widen
Bookmakers widened their odds against Labour winning a majority in the May 6 election to 46-1 after Brown's gaffe, from 30-1 before.
"There's no doubt in what the punters are saying: Brown has royally messed up this time," said Mike Robb, a spokesman for online betting company Betfair.
:bowler: :bowler: :bowler:
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 28, 2010, 12:59:32 PM
Caught it on CNN.
Seems like there's some upside though, among pro-immigration (or at least anti-anti-immigration) voters.
No upside at all.
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 28, 2010, 01:02:03 PM
No upside at all.
Why not? Seems all the Languish Poms were bemoaning the anti-immigration pandering during the debate.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 28, 2010, 01:17:10 PM
Why not? Seems all the Languish Poms were bemoaning the anti-immigration pandering during the debate.
We're very unrepresentative. A lot of Labour's core vote is strongly anti-immigration and the woman's talking about legal immigration - that's one of the reasons why the BNP tend to do best in Labour areas. People who are pro-immigration are far more likely to be supporting the Lib Dems. There's a class element.
Plus Brown's just insulted an elderly woman who's supported Labour all her life and who spent it working with disabled children. That's never a good look.
Finally he doesn't discuss immigration or really deal with her. He just gets into the car and bad-mouths her. It plays into the worst impressions of politicians.
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 28, 2010, 01:21:47 PM
Plus Brown's just insulted an elderly woman who's supported Labour all her life and who spent it working with disabled children.
We should invite him to Languish after the election when he has more time.
I don't see what the big fuss is, in terms of Brown's character, to be honest. Sure, it does look bad in terms of a PR stuff, and all the idiots will think less of him because he calls an old bigoted hag a "bigot", but I fail to see how Brown is the "bad guy" in this story - he is simply unlucky, if anything.
She probably was a bigot though - does that help poor Mr. Brown out at all?
And is Brown Labour, or not-Labour?
And does it matter?
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 28, 2010, 01:21:47 PM
Plus Brown's just insulted an elderly woman who's supported Labour all her life and who spent it working with disabled children. That's never a good look.
What does her occupation have to do with anything? I'm sure there are racist nuns and priests, but that does not excuse being a racist. It's interesting to see how far Europe hasn't progressed from 19th century conceptions of who is white enough to be part of the mainstream.
:lol: Fate would have preferred that Brown punch her in the gut.
The problem Brown has is that, at a rough guess, half his vote will come from badly-educated bigots. He was unwise to let on to them what he thought about them.
She didn't let him finish many sentences did she? I'm no admirer of the man but he is HM's Prime Minister, a minimal politeness would seem to be in order IMO.
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on April 28, 2010, 01:53:12 PM
She didn't let him finish many sentences did she? I'm no admirer of the man but he is HM's Prime Minister, a minimal politeness would seem to be in order IMO.
That's just tough questioning. :P
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on April 28, 2010, 01:53:12 PM
The problem Brown has is that, at a rough guess, half his vote will come from badly-educated bigots. He was unwise to let on to them what he thought about them.
She didn't let him finish many sentences did she? I'm no admirer of the man but he is HM's Prime Minister, a minimal politeness would seem to be in order IMO.
I haven't seen the tape yet (and can't watch it now), but an account I read indicated she was concerned about east european immigration. I guess you could be bigoted about east europeans, but I would tend to assume she was into old fashioned protectionism rather than bigotry. Having seen it, do you think that is fair?
She didn't really say, she just seemed concerned about "all these East Europeans flocking" into the UK. Earlier on she had talked about layabouts on the dole.
I think it's a stretch to call her a bigot on what was said. I'd say she was a believer in the "lump of labour" and would prefer idle Brits to do the work rather than importing foreigners to do it. Brown could have challenged her perhaps and found out more about her beliefs, but he was in an emollient mood (in public) and chose not to.
Quote from: Fate on April 28, 2010, 01:35:35 PM
What does her occupation have to do with anything? I'm sure there are racist nuns and priests, but that does not excuse being a racist. It's interesting to see how far Europe hasn't progressed from 19th century conceptions of who is white enough to be part of the mainstream.
She's clearly not racist. I've said before that what motivates British anti-immigration feeling is far more xenophobia than racism. I think for most people colour doesn't really matter to Britishness. From what we've heard I don't know if she is xenophobic then.
Plus Eastern Europeans are the largest immigrant group in recent years. Over 1.5 million since 2004, though as Brown said many have left and many Brits work in Europe. And of course I'm middle class. I don't feel the squeeze on low paid jobs or whatever else.
QuoteShe didn't let him finish many sentences did she? I'm no admirer of the man but he is HM's Prime Minister, a minimal politeness would seem to be in order IMO.
She let him get his point across. It wasn't her being aggressive she just got to meet the PM and dumped all her fears on them: immigration, debt, etc. At the end, though, she was saying he was very nice and praising Brown for improving the local schools - he was saying 'nice to meet you, lovely family' etc.
QuoteI haven't seen the tape yet (and can't watch it now), but an account I read indicated she was concerned about east european immigration. I guess you could be bigoted about east europeans, but I would tend to assume she was into old fashioned protectionism rather than bigotry. Having seen it, do you think that is fair?
Protectionism isn't really an issue in the UK, the only exception I can think of is that most people seem to think that the government should sometimes intervene to stop a foreign company taking over a British one. I think this is because we get the impression that everyone else does (somewhat true) and the recent case of Kraft buying Cadbury's saying they wouldn't close down the British operation and then closing it down.
On the one hand I would like more politicians to call voters on their own really stupid points. I would like them to call a voter a bigot, if they really wewre a bigot.
That being said however it should be down in front of the person, not behind their back, and the woman didn't say anything obviously bigoted. Veiled, maybe, but not clear enough.
Kraft is going to ruin Cadbury's? That's too bad. They're the best chocolate company in the world, by far.
The Labour party keeps reaching new lows. They're pathetic.
Quote from: jamesww on April 28, 2010, 06:07:59 PM
I didn't see anything 'wrong' with the issues she brought up or the way he handled her during their discussion; after all they parted on good terms, she intending to vote for new labour. (in a key 189 majority labour held seat, no less) .
I thought it was a Lib Dem seat :mellow:
QuotePersonally I think this might have been a SkyNews set up, they've had access to radio mike feeds several times this election, and were waiting for a slip up, as it was Gordon handed them a blinder.
But that just points to the incompetence of the Labour campaign. As the media have reported, in the last two elections Tony Blair used Labour party mikes that they controlled and switched off as soon as the media bit was done. This allows your image to be in the hands of the media not the party.
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 28, 2010, 02:28:37 PM
She's clearly not racist. I've said before that what motivates British anti-immigration feeling is far more xenophobia than racism.
Although the "they're taking our jobs" isn't quite xenophobia; more like igorance as to how the economy works.
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 28, 2010, 02:28:37 PMI think for most people colour doesn't really matter to Britishness. From what we've heard I don't know if she is xenophobic then.
Agreed. All I ask is that if you are a British subject you are loyal to Queen and Country. Colour is immaterial - and I am on the right in British politics, the side generally tarred with the racism and xenophobia brush.
Brown's comment is interesting. The quote I have seen is "Oh, everything, she's just a sort of bigoted woman who said she used to vote Labour." Which shows a certain denseness on Brown's part - apart from the negativeness of the phrase bigoted woman, he's talked to her for five minutes, parting on apparently friendly terms, without realising that she was going to vote Labour in the election...at least, before his comment was broadcast across the country.
Though I do agree with BB, politicians should be able to call out moronic voters, getting caught doing so behind their backs is awful.
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on April 28, 2010, 02:23:58 PM
She didn't really say, she just seemed concerned about "all these East Europeans flocking" into the UK. Earlier on she had talked about layabouts on the dole.
I think it's a stretch to call her a bigot on what was said. I'd say she was a believer in the "lump of labour" and would prefer idle Brits to do the work rather than importing foreigners to do it. Brown could have challenged her perhaps and found out more about her beliefs, but he was in an emollient mood (in public) and chose not to.
I saw the interview--it was painful and cringeworthy. I can see Brown was pissed about being left out there with her. But she didn't deserve to be called a bigot. I like Brown, but he sucks as a politician.
Quote from: Palisadoes on April 28, 2010, 06:04:29 PM
The Labour party keeps reaching new lows. They're pathetic.
No. This speaks more about how backwards British are when it comes to race relations.
Quote from: Fate on April 28, 2010, 08:01:39 PM
Quote from: Palisadoes on April 28, 2010, 06:04:29 PM
The Labour party keeps reaching new lows. They're pathetic.
No. This speaks more about how backwards British are when it comes to race relations.
I'm starting to understand why the Fate Rule is needed on Languish. :hmm:
Quote from: Agelastus on April 28, 2010, 08:14:43 PM
Quote from: Fate on April 28, 2010, 08:01:39 PM
Quote from: Palisadoes on April 28, 2010, 06:04:29 PM
The Labour party keeps reaching new lows. They're pathetic.
No. This speaks more about how backwards British are when it comes to race relations.
I'm starting to understand why the Fate Rule is needed on Languish. :hmm:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frlv.zcache.com%2Fthey_took_our_jobs_tshirt-d235648038281095886yhmi_325.jpg&hash=bcf7783794d651b457ab64937f800d8e3d63921e)
Myeh. Not too big a disaster. Brown could have headbutted her and stole her purse and it wouldn't have made his popularity any worse.
If people vote for labour they're really not voting for Brown.
Quote from: Fate on April 28, 2010, 08:01:39 PM
Quote from: Palisadoes on April 28, 2010, 06:04:29 PM
The Labour party keeps reaching new lows. They're pathetic.
No. This speaks more about how backwards British are when it comes to race relations.
Nothing she said was particularly "bigoted", though. Immigration is quite a big concern here in the UK (particularly given the unemployment), and by labelling those who disagree with your policies on it as "bigots" really doesn't reassure people that you care what they think (even more so when they are your core voters!).
Quote from: Agelastus on April 28, 2010, 06:56:10 PM
Brown's comment is interesting. The quote I have seen is "Oh, everything, she's just a sort of bigoted woman who said she used to vote Labour." Which shows a certain denseness on Brown's part - apart from the negativeness of the phrase bigoted woman, he's talked to her for five minutes, parting on apparently friendly terms, without realising that she was going to vote Labour in the election...at least, before his comment was broadcast across the country.
As Martin Bright pointed out though everything about the woman screamed 'she's one of us; be nice to her': she'd worked for the council in the community for thirty years, her dad used to go to Manchester Free Trade Hall and sing 'The Red Flag' for God's sake :bleeding:
Quote from: Palisadoes on April 29, 2010, 06:51:13 AM
Quote from: Fate on April 28, 2010, 08:01:39 PM
Quote from: Palisadoes on April 28, 2010, 06:04:29 PM
The Labour party keeps reaching new lows. They're pathetic.
No. This speaks more about how backwards British are when it comes to race relations.
Nothing she said was particularly "bigoted", though. Immigration is quite a big concern here in the UK (particularly given the unemployment), and by labelling those who disagree with your policies on it as "bigots" really doesn't reassure people that you care what they think (even more so when they are your core voters!).
Brown shouldn't care how a racist cracker takes the comment. Brown should shame and demean these type of people in the strongest possible terms.
Quote from: alfred russel on April 28, 2010, 07:44:04 PM
I saw the interview--it was painful and cringeworthy. I can see Brown was pissed about being left out there with her. But she didn't deserve to be called a bigot. I like Brown, but he sucks as a politician.
The worst bit is the radio interview he's doing when he hears the tape. It's just really very sad:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8649800.stm
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 29, 2010, 06:31:03 PM
Quote from: Agelastus on April 28, 2010, 06:56:10 PM
Brown's comment is interesting. The quote I have seen is "Oh, everything, she's just a sort of bigoted woman who said she used to vote Labour." Which shows a certain denseness on Brown's part - apart from the negativeness of the phrase bigoted woman, he's talked to her for five minutes, parting on apparently friendly terms, without realising that she was going to vote Labour in the election...at least, before his comment was broadcast across the country.
As Martin Bright pointed out though everything about the woman screamed 'she's one of us; be nice to her': she'd worked for the council in the community for thirty years, her dad used to go to Manchester Free Trade Hall and sing 'The Red Flag' for God's sake :bleeding:
Is that really 'one of us' to Brown? He went to one of the best universities in the country, has been in Parliament for over 30 years and has been one of the most powerful men in Britain for over a decade. She's a foot soldier, he's a field marshal.
Quote from: Neil on April 29, 2010, 07:19:48 PM
Is that really 'one of us' to Brown? He went to one of the best universities in the country, has been in Parliament for over 30 years and has been one of the most powerful men in Britain for over a decade. She's a foot soldier, he's a field marshal.
She's as Labour as they come and Brown is, whatever else, a Labour tribalist. Plus there's lots of sentimentality in the Labour party. You mention your dad singing the Red Flag in the 1930s and they go misty-eyed.
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 29, 2010, 07:24:25 PM
Quote from: Neil on April 29, 2010, 07:19:48 PM
Is that really 'one of us' to Brown? He went to one of the best universities in the country, has been in Parliament for over 30 years and has been one of the most powerful men in Britain for over a decade. She's a foot soldier, he's a field marshal.
She's as Labour as they come and Brown is, whatever else, a Labour tribalist. Plus there's lots of sentimentality in the Labour party. You mention your dad singing the Red Flag in the 1930s and they go misty-eyed.
Yeah, but he's the Duke of Wellington, and she's some wretched infantryman.
In a way that's tragically appropriate Gordon Brown campaigning today in two separate locations was interrupted by the sound of nearby car crashes. Literal car crashes.
Quote from: Neil on April 29, 2010, 07:35:34 PM
Yeah, but he's the Duke of Wellington, and she's some wretched infantryman.
More like he's Admiral Byng, and she is one of the swabbies picked for firing squad duty.
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on April 30, 2010, 12:40:19 PM
More like he's Admiral Byng, and she is one of the swabbies picked for firing squad duty.
Surely you mean the hanging detail. :nerd:
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 29, 2010, 06:59:18 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on April 28, 2010, 07:44:04 PM
I saw the interview--it was painful and cringeworthy. I can see Brown was pissed about being left out there with her. But she didn't deserve to be called a bigot. I like Brown, but he sucks as a politician.
The worst bit is the radio interview he's doing when he hears the tape. It's just really very sad:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8649800.stm
I understand that he didn't know that radio interview was being filmed. I agree it was somewhat sad. You can imagine when he puts his head in his hands that is the moment he realizes he won't be prime minister much longer.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 30, 2010, 12:48:16 PM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on April 30, 2010, 12:40:19 PM
More like he's Admiral Byng, and she is one of the swabbies picked for firing squad duty.
Surely you mean the hanging detail. :nerd:
No: http://www.executedtoday.com/2010/03/14/1757-admiral-john-byng/ (http://www.executedtoday.com/2010/03/14/1757-admiral-john-byng/) :bowler:
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 30, 2010, 12:48:16 PM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on April 30, 2010, 12:40:19 PM
More like he's Admiral Byng, and she is one of the swabbies picked for firing squad duty.
Surely you mean the hanging detail. :nerd:
Surely not.
I have pics.
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=BHC0380
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 30, 2010, 12:33:27 PM
In a way that's tragically appropriate Gordon Brown campaigning today in two separate locations was interrupted by the sound of nearby car crashes. Literal car crashes.
:lol: That's almost as good as the lightning striking when Giuliani was asked a question about being a good Catholic in one of the debate.
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on April 30, 2010, 12:40:19 PM
Quote from: Neil on April 29, 2010, 07:35:34 PM
Yeah, but he's the Duke of Wellington, and she's some wretched infantryman.
More like he's Admiral Byng, and she is one of the swabbies picked for firing squad duty.
Byng was shot by Royal Marines, not sailors.
I think that Wellington is more apt, because of Brown's contempt for his inferiors.
Quote from: DGuller on April 30, 2010, 03:59:19 PM
:lol: That's almost as good as the lightning striking when Giuliani was asked a question about being a good Catholic in one of the debate.
The Times has footage. This Labour campaign has just been utterly awful (not just the bigot stuff). Although the other two parties haven't showered themselves in glory. Why in God's name the Tories haven't had Cameron touring the country with Ken Clarke is beyond me. They've got one human seeming Tory that people like and they get him on TV once (and then he, accidentally, contradicts party policy). Anyway the car crash:
QuoteLabour follows debate failure with car crash event
Martin Fletcher and Philippe Naughton
Labour's ill-starred election campaign took another hit today when Gordon Brown's launch of a poster designed to set the agenda for the final week was interrupted by a car crash.
Witnesses at the poster launch in Hockley, Birmingham, said that, after a long squealing of tyres, A green Volkswagen Golf smashed into a bus shelter on a traffic island only yards from the car park where the Prime Minister and nine Cabinet ministers were lined up.
The driver of the car, an unemployed Labour supporter, was apparently trying to avoid a dustcart, one of whose occupants was shouting abuse at the ministers, as it negotiated a nearby roundabout.
Yards away, Lord Mandelson, Labour's campaign supremo, was in full flight, praising Mr Brown for his "fighting performance" in last night's final TV debate.
Mr Brown was next to speak — although by that point all the reporters at the event had rushed over to the scene of the crash, where the car's airbags were deployed. The emergency services were quick to arrive. Even some of the Prime Minister's Special Branch officers rushed to the scene.
Omed Rashid, 27, the car driver, said the rubbish truck clipped his Golf, sending it out of control. "Luckily there was no-one at the bus stop," he said.
One of the refuse collectors, a 40-year-old man who identified himself only as Dell, denied causing the crash and was totally unapologetic. "Half our jobs are gone left, right and centre in this city," he said.
Journalists and camera crews returned to pepper the ministers with the inevitable question: was the crash a metaphor for Labour's campaign? "I don't agree," Lord Mandelson replied.
"I believe it's game on for all the parties between now and May 6...We will fight for every vote in every seat." Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, concurred: "The election is wide open," he insisted.
A junior official was more candid - "I feel like a dog that can't be kicked any more."
Jay Bailey, 36, a self-employed consultant, said that she saw the truck make contact with the car. Mrs Bailey said: "The lorry driver was shouting abuse as they drove past and they did not see the car. It hit the car, which lurched into the bus shelter."
Stephen Miller, 39, a computer engineer, said: "I heard shouting and turned around and saw three or four guys shouting at the politicians. I turned back round and did not see the crash but heard the car screeching and then the crash."
Inspector Jim Gooderidge, of West Midlands Police, said: "We don't know the full circumstances of the incident yet, but the drivers are being spoken to by officers. Nobody was injured."
The incident came only two days after Mr Brown committed a campaign gaffe, describing a 66-year-old voter as a "bigoted woman" after being questioned over immigration policy in Rochdale.
The two new posters in question feature the slogan — in child-like writing — "Don't Forget to Vote Labour" and are meant to reinforce Labour warnings that both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats would cut support for families.
"This election is a big choice. About protecting the future of your family, or putting that future at risk," Mr Brown told the launch. "The time for debate has finished. The time for decision has begun."
A number of instant polls after the last of three televised debates made David Cameron clear winner, with the Prime Minister again trailing in third place. A snap Populus poll for The Times put Mr Cameron neck and neck with Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, who is hoping to hold the balance of power after May 6.
Labour strategists have been hoping desperately that Mr Brown would put in a performance that would change the dynamics of the campaign — which he clearly failed to do despite pressing home his economic record.
Mr Cameron cautioned that the election was "far from won" for the Conservatives and said that he would spend the next six days concentrating on winning every vote.
The Labour election co-ordinator, Douglas Alexander, also insisted that the result of the election was still uncertain, and said that Mr Brown would carry on fighting until the end.
"He is going to be campaigning the length and breadth of the country in the days ahead," he said. "We are going to be fighting from now until the election for every single vote. This election is wide open. Nobody has any certainty how this election will play itself out."
Edit: Oops, link to the footage:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7112732.ece
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 30, 2010, 04:41:30 PM
Ed Balls
Probably my favourite name for a politician ever. :)
Quote from: Barrister on April 30, 2010, 04:44:40 PM
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 30, 2010, 04:41:30 PM
Ed Balls
Probably my favourite name for a politician ever. :)
Just watching Newsnight now and they've pictures of him being booed and heckled at a hustings. Not looking good for him.
The Tories are targetting his 'safe' seat. So far he'd been assumed as a shoo-in and potential future leader, so he's been touring the country. Suddenly he's realised he's got a fight on his hand. The Tories call it the castration strategy.
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 30, 2010, 04:51:18 PM
Quote from: Barrister on April 30, 2010, 04:44:40 PM
Quote from: Sheilbh on April 30, 2010, 04:41:30 PM
Ed Balls
Probably my favourite name for a politician ever. :)
Just watching Newsnight now and they've pictures of him being booed and heckled at a hustings. Not looking good for him.
The Tories are targetting his 'safe' seat. So far he'd been assumed as a shoo-in and potential future leader, so he's been touring the country. Suddenly he's realised he's got a fight on his hand. The Tories call it the castration strategy.
Can't quite decide between :lol: or :rolleyes:
I hope Lib Dems win. :cool:
Can the Liberals actually win? I mean, they can certainly hang parliament, increase their support and probably form a coalition with somebody, but actually win a plurality and form a government?
Quote from: Neil on April 30, 2010, 05:30:06 PM
Can the Liberals actually win? I mean, they can certainly hang parliament, increase their support and probably form a coalition with somebody, but actually win a plurality and form a government?
They need about 36-7% I think to win a plurality (assuming that largely comes from the Tories and that Labour are, as they currently are in the polls, on the low 20s). That would be a 14% swing from the last election which would be truly extraordinary. But right now we've had a swing of 7-10%.
To win an outright majority they'd need about 40% I think.
I'd vote Tory.
Quote from: Neil on April 30, 2010, 05:30:06 PM
Can the Liberals actually win? I mean, they can certainly hang parliament, increase their support and probably form a coalition with somebody, but actually win a plurality and form a government?
They can win if they hang the parliament and force the electoral reform.
Quote from: Martinus on April 30, 2010, 05:37:26 PM
Quote from: Neil on April 30, 2010, 05:30:06 PM
Can the Liberals actually win? I mean, they can certainly hang parliament, increase their support and probably form a coalition with somebody, but actually win a plurality and form a government?
They can win if they hang the parliament and force the electoral reform.
If only we could hang the Congress here in US. :(
I'd vote Hitler.
I'm voting for Kodos.
Quote from: Ed Anger on April 30, 2010, 06:07:39 PM
Somebody has to keep the wogs in line.
Speaking of the BNP Nick Griffin's attempt to shake off the racist image had another setback today. On a radio call-in someone called in and said that three of his grandparents were born out of the UK, is he indigenous British? Nick's response was 'Well I can't tell. I can't see you.' :lol:
Quote from: Martinus on April 30, 2010, 05:37:26 PM
Quote from: Neil on April 30, 2010, 05:30:06 PM
Can the Liberals actually win? I mean, they can certainly hang parliament, increase their support and probably form a coalition with somebody, but actually win a plurality and form a government?
They can win if they hang the parliament and force the electoral reform.
I'd be wary of trying to use electoral reform to eliminate the Tories. Otherwise, when they get back into power (and they eventually will), they'll use anti-terror legislation to outlaw the left.
538 predicts 299 seats for the Tories, 200 for Labour and 120 for the Lib-Dems.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/04/uk-seats-projection-tories-299-labour.html
Quote from: jimmy olsen on May 01, 2010, 12:18:11 AM
538 predicts 299 seats for the Tories, 200 for Labour and 120 for the Lib-Dems.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/04/uk-seats-projection-tories-299-labour.html
If so then I imagine the Tories will go into coalition with both Unionist parties and have their near-majority accepted (strictly speaking the mark is 326, but if a little bit short this can be accepted).
Lol, saw this over at andrew sullivan's blog.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fandrewsullivan.theatlantic.com%2F.a%2F6a00d83451c45669e201348046f0b2970c&hash=8649857702c7473da2882bf5796c30fdaf0331ee)
:lol:
I love election campaigns!
Quote from: Palisadoes on May 01, 2010, 05:47:03 AM
If so then I imagine the Tories will go into coalition with both Unionist parties and have their near-majority accepted (strictly speaking the mark is 326, but if a little bit short this can be accepted).
The Tories have already merged with the UUP (and their one MP is running as an independent - she's quite liberal - and I think she's likely to win). I don't think any Westminster party will want to be working with the TUV, if they win any seats, and if they win any seats it'll largely be from the DUP.
Quote from: Sheilbh on May 01, 2010, 10:01:05 AM
Quote from: Palisadoes on May 01, 2010, 05:47:03 AM
If so then I imagine the Tories will go into coalition with both Unionist parties and have their near-majority accepted (strictly speaking the mark is 326, but if a little bit short this can be accepted).
The Tories have already merged with the UUP (and their one MP is running as an independent - she's quite liberal - and I think she's likely to win). I don't think any Westminster party will want to be working with the TUV, if they win any seats, and if they win any seats it'll largely be from the DUP.
I was on about the UCU (UUP) and the DUP in particular. There is also an independent joint unionist candidate in Fermanagh-South Tyrone who would probably go for Conservatives too (the Tories being the big Unionist party in the UK as a whole - "Conservative and
Unionist Party").
In recognition of the coming Conservative plurality, I just watched all 12 hours of House of Cards.